Edge setting iron



P 1938- o. L. LAWSON 2,131,378

EDGE SETTING IRON Original Filed Jan. 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 27, 1938. O AW ON 2,131,378

EDGE SETTING IRON Origirial Filed Jan. 2, 1956 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES EDGE SETTING IRON Oscar L. Lawson, Lynn, Mass., assignor to National Development Company, corporation of Massachusetts January 2, 1936, SerialNo. 57,084 RenewedAugust 18, 1938 Application 2 Claims.

This invention relates to edge setting irons as used in edge settingmachines, for setting 'th edges of heel toplifts or soles of shoes.

An edge setting machine in which the iron herein described is adaptedtobe used is shown in the patent to Merton W. Howard, No. 1,829,800, November 3, 1931.

The operation of setting the edge of an attached toplift has the object of finishing and polishing the raw edge of a toplift which has previously been inked or waxed, of rolling in the joint between the toplift and the heel so as to close the joint and make the'. surfaces of the heel and toplift smooth and continuous, and of molding the edge of the toplift so as to form thereon a projecting circumferential bead, a suitably shaped "bed or surface between the bead and the heel proper and a portion known as the panel at the outer side of the bead, which panel is subsequently buffed off for the final finishing of the toplift to bring the bead flush with the outer surface. These operations are usually performed bya heated iron having a configuration complementary to the desired'configuration of the bed, head and panel and'which is so manipulated with relation tothe edge in question as to produce the above results.

Previous edge setting irons with which I have been familiar (see Fig. 7) have been made in one piece consisting of a shank portion fitting into a holder on the machine, and an integral operative portion having the desired'surface configuration which portion is rounded or convex and is partially formed on a suitable cutting tool. It is impossible, however, to get a proper surface on the operative portion of such an iron without a great deal of hand filing and polishing done with the aid of a magnifying glass. This hand work has made edge setting irons relatively expensive articles if properly made. The sur-' face of an iron also wears down quickly and has to be recut frequently, involving arepetition of the same expensive hand work. I have eliminated a great deal of this expense of manufacture and renewalof edge setting irons by my invention, which consists in making the operative portion of the iron circular in shape and separate from the shank portion. The operative member can be turned entirely on a lathe to give it its proper configuration and finish. The operative portion is then mounted on the shank portion in proper position, as by a screw, and when one operative surface wears down a new surface is quickly presented merely by turning the circular operative member. As many as six Lynn, Mass, a

operative surfaces can be supplied in this manner, and when the entire operative surface is worn, it can be quicklyrenewed by again tuming it on a lathe and cutting it as before. The expense of manufacture and renewal is thus not only greatly reduced but the user gets the equivalent of six irons for theprice of one.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the detailsof constructionand arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or teminology employed herein is-for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a left-hand elevation of an edge setting machine, in which my edge setting iron is adapted to be used.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my edge setting iron.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the iron showing the parts in disassembled relation.

Fig.4is'a vertical cross section on line 4.-4 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified iron having a knurled surface.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the cycle of operations of my edge setting iron on a toplift.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic representation of an old type iron operating on a toplift.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the edge setting machine shown in Howard Patent No. 1,829,800, in which my edge setting iron is adapted to be used. The machine in which the iron is used forms no part of my invention, and it is unnecessary to describethesame in detail. For full descriptionof the machine'reference is hereby made to the said Howard Patent No. 1,829,800.

" My edge setting iron H] as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 consists'of a hollow shank portion or stud ll having an extending supporting portion l2, with a central hole [3 preferably threaded to receive the threaded stem 21 and a plurality of holes [4 surrounding said hole I3 for receiving attaching. pins I5. The operative portion consists of a separate and circular or cylindrical plug [8 having an operative surface IS, a groove 29 thereon for producing the bead of the topllft CAD and a flange 2| for producing the panel on the toplift. A central hole 22 therein corresponding to hole l3 in the shank member receives the screw 25 having the head 26 and threaded stem 2?. Plug l8 comprising the operative portion is, of course, fixedly mounted on shank support 12 by means of screw 25. The assembled edge setting iron of Fig. 2 is then mounted in holder 30 of the edge setting machine shown in Fig. 1.

Previous edge setting irons (as shown in Fig. 7 herein and at 8 in Figs. 6 to 10 of said Howard. Patent No. 1,829,800) have been made in one piece consisting of a shank portion and a rounded operative portion. To set the edge on the corners of a Cuban heel, work has to be done on the corners of the edge setting iron. This means that the surface configuration of the iron must be carried out to the corners'which' cannot be done by machine work. In manufacturing, this iron is turned intermittently against the forming or cutting tool in the arc of a circle. But to carry out the desired configuration to the corner of the iron requires a great deal of hand work, filing and polishing byhand with the aid of a magnifying glass. If this hand work is not done it has to be broken in by actual edge setting and by the time it is broken in it is practically worn out. This means that the surface must be renewed by recuttin'g and repolishing, duplicating the previous operation.

These difficulties of manufacture have been eliminated by my iron having a separate and cylindrical operating portion. This part can be machined by being put on an arbor and turned against the forming tool in constant application. The final polish can then be put on in a similar manner with a leather polishing wheel. All expensive hand work is thus eliminated. A uniform surface is provided all around the operative portion which will give a .uniform edge to the toplift. Because of its circular shape at least six edge setting surfaces are provided which can be used consecutively. As one wears out, the screw 25 is loosened and plug l8 given a slight turn presenting a fresh operating surface. When these six operating surfaces have been used, the entire surface can then be again renewed, by duplicating the previous cutting and polishing operation just described.

I A knurled edge can also be provided as shown in Fig. 5. The operative portion of the iron is the same as before, but is cut transversely into two parts i8a and IBD and between them is mounted the knurling wheel 28 which is freely rotatable. The other parts of the iron, however, are stationary. Unless rotatable the knurling Wheel would, of course, not transfer the knurled design but would act merely as a file.

Fig. 6 shows a cycle of operation of my edge setting iron on a toplift. Fig. 1 shows my edge setting iron In in use, a Cuban heel 35 being mounted in the jack ready for the edge setting operation. In Fig. 6 beginning with Figure A at the top and proceeding therefrom through figures B, C, D and E consecutively the edge of the toplift is presented to the iron beginning at one corner and is then rotated three-quarters of a revolution to the opposite corner as shown in Figure E. The heel is then turned in the opposite direction repeating the operation (not shown). This is repeated as many times as may be necessary to set the edge properly.

Fig. 7 pictures the old type of edge setting iron operating on a toplift and illustrates one of the difliculties of such an iron; The iron 32, in setting the corner-edge of the toplift of the heel 35, the corner of the toplift could not be set without using the corner of the iron, which necessarily pushes in the corner of the toplift distorting the shape of the toplift. With the use of my edge setting iron l0, however, being circular in shape, there is no corner on the iron and the corner of the heel is not pushed out of shape in the edge setting operation.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, my edge setting iron also is better adapted for setting the edges on soles of shoes. A good operative surface of the iron is always presented at any angle. Also with old edge setting irons, it was possible to knurl only the. edges on substantially round heels; It was impossible to knurl the edge of larger Cuban heel toplifts at the corners because in the old edge setting iron the radius of the knurling wheel was smaller than the radius of the curvature of the iron, and at the corners the knurl work was held' away from the heel by the corners of the iron. My iron having a circular edge setting portion eliminates this difiiculty, since the knurling wheel and edge setting portion have the' same radius. The knurled effect can be carried clear to the corners of the toplift on Cuban heels.

By means of my invention, 1 am able greatly to reduce the cost of manufacture of edge setting irons,.and at the same time give the shoe manufacturer an iron having six operating surfaces before having to be renewed, and the renewal of such surfaces is easily and inexpensively done. Many heel or shoe factories have had to have one or more men doing nothing else than reshaping and polishing edge setting irons. The expense of maintaining such irons is greatly reduced by means of my invention.

I claim:

1.'An edge setting iron having a shank portion and a separate operative portion detachably mounted thereon, comprising a cylindrical member having a profile corresponding to the configuration to be placed on the work, which is ordinarily stationary, but is rotatable to present 'a new operative surface when one surface is worn out, and a freely rotatable ornamenting wheel mounted on said cylindrical member.

2. An edge setting iron having a shank portion, and a separate operative portion detachably mounted thereon, comprising a cylindrical member divided transversely into two disks which are ordinarily stationary, but arerotatable to present a. new operative surface when one surface is worn out, and havingfia freely rotatable ornamenting wheel mounted between said disks, said member havinga'profile corresponding to the configuration to be placed on the work.

. OSCAR L. LAWSON. 

